BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Charlie Black, chairman of the Prime Policy Group

How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “My wife Judy and I are going on a cruise ship around the Greek Islands next week, with good friends, including Trisha and Trent Lott.”

How did you get your start in politics? “My interest was piqued by reading Barry Goldwater’s ‘Conscience of a Conservative’ when I was 17. In college I got involved in Republican and conservative groups and one thing led to another.”

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What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why? “I just finished ‘Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission,’ by Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney, a great history of President Eisenhower and the Eisenhower-Kennedy transition. Must reading for any President-Elect.”

What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “How technology is rapidly changing the world and the nature of jobs. Driverless cars, artificial intelligence, robots on production lines. All these will be commonplace in less than ten years.”

How is the Trump presidency going? “President Trump is doing very well on national security. If he coaxes Congress into doing tax reform, the economy will pick up. Jobs and take-home pay will grow. That is the most important question dictating his success on the domestic front. His instinct for bipartisan agreements is very popular with the public.”

What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I was a champion clarinet player in high school. Almost majored in music.”